Last verified: October 2026. Checked against Step Up For Students' 2026-27 award tables, handbooks and purchasing guides.
Does the scholarship depend on where my child lives or where the school is?
Where the child lives. Step Up uses the home county recorded when the first payment is processed, and moving later in the year leaves the figure unchanged.
How different are the Lee and Collier awards?
For 2026-27 a Lee resident gets $8,779 / $8,193 / $8,001 by grade band; a Collier resident gets $10,176 / $9,567 / $9,367. A Naples-area family enrolling at a Bonita Springs school brings the Collier amount with them.
Which private schools are in Bonita Springs and Estero?
The Lee directory places Gospel Baptist Christian School, Grace Community School, Grace Classical Academy, Discovery Day Academy and WiloStar3D Academy in Bonita Springs, and 3 Oaks Academy, Educational Pathways Academy II and Palms Day School in Estero, among others. Each community page lists every one with its flags.
| What it is | What it isn't |
|---|---|
| Private School Scholarship: $8,001-$8,779, paid to a school | Not paid to parents, and not for computers |
| FES-UA: from $10,567, parent-directed | Not combinable with the standard award |
| PEP: county award for learning outside full-time school | Not a full-time online school or a computer budget |